


Nights are Good (and that's the way it should be)

by asexualjuliet



Category: The OC (TV)
Genre: Bi Ryan Atwood, Coming Out, Ficlet, Gen, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Minor Grief/Mourning, Post-Season/Series 03, Their friendship has me SOFT omg, bi character, ryan and summer are best friends ok... i just think they deserve it, summer & ryan best friends rights!!, working title for this was “um bi ryan rights”, y’all know who it is
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-09
Updated: 2020-12-09
Packaged: 2021-03-10 09:27:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 284
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27968288
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/asexualjuliet/pseuds/asexualjuliet
Summary: “Did she like girls?” he asks Summer one starry evening, two months, two days, and one hour afterthat night.She looks at him oddly. “What?”Or, Ryan comes out.
Relationships: Referenced Marissa Cooper/Alex Kelly, Referenced Ryan Atwood/Marissa Cooper, Ryan Atwood & Summer Roberts
Kudos: 9





	Nights are Good (and that's the way it should be)

**Author's Note:**

> i can’t stop thinking about him i love him so much... bi ryan rights
> 
> i’m late asf to the party but i think i get a pass on account of this show being older than me. i’ve finished through 4.03 and i just think ryan and summer should be best friends ok!!
> 
> also i couldn’t fit it in here but ryan is also ace in my heart... bi ace ryan rights
> 
> Title from Bright by Echosmith
> 
> Hope you enjoy!!

“Did she like girls?” he asks Summer one starry evening, two months, two days, and one hour after  _ that night.  _

She looks at him oddly. “What?”

“M—Marissa,” he says, letting her name fall from his tongue for the first time in a while. The name used to be sweet as honey on his lips. Now it just tastes like ash. 

“She was with Alex for like, three months,” Summer points out. 

“I know,” says Ryan. “But wasn’t she just trying to piss off her mom?”

Summer shrugs. “I didn’t know Alex that well,” she says. “But—I don’t know, I got the vibe that Marissa really liked her. Like she liked you.”

Ryan doesn’t respond; looks up at the dark night sky in contemplation. 

“Whatcha thinkin’ about, Atwood?” asks Summer after a while. Ryan just fiddles with his sweatshirt zipper. 

“Ryan?”

“So she liked both,” he says. “Boys and girls, I mean.”

Summer shrugs. “She loved you, if that’s what you’re wondering,” she says. “God, she loved you more than anything.”

“I know,” Ryan says, shaking his head. “I just—” He cuts himself off. 

“You okay?” she asks softly. 

“I do too,” he says, words rushed, as if he’s trying to get them out before changing his mind. “I like both. Boys and girls.”

Summer gives him a soft smile. “That’s cool,” she says. 

“You can’t tell anyone,” he says, feeling panic rise in his chest. He might be a Newport kid now, but Ryan knows what happens to people like him in Chino. “Not even Seth. You—you can’t.”

“I won’t,” she tells him with a smile, taking his hand in hers and squeezing it tight. 

He can tell she means it.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!
> 
> All mistakes are my own, please let me know if you see any!
> 
> Kudos/Comments are greatly appreciated!


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